


Fate (The Story)

by LovelySheree



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 011 - Freeform, 11 - Freeform, El - Freeform, F/M, Fanfic, Fanfiction, Fate, Jane el hopper - Freeform, Lumax, Mike x Eleven - Freeform, MikexEl, MikexEleven, Mileven, ST, el hopper - Freeform, eleven - Freeform, lovelysheree, stranger things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-08-25 22:29:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16669549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelySheree/pseuds/LovelySheree
Summary: “Do you mean that?” he asked quietly.“Yes,” she said immediately.  “I don’t care what fate says because I choose you, Mike.  And if there’s a bigger picture for me, then I don’t care about it unless you’re in it too.”---On her first day of school, El Hopper met Mike Wheeler and he and his friends helped her gain a sense of normalcy in her crazy life.  But there was something lurking in Hawkins and she knew it was only a matter of time before the party would find out.  She couldn't keep her past hidden forever, not from her friends and especially not from Mike.  But if there was one thing El Hopper knew, it was that she was entirely in love with Mike Wheeler and nothing in this world (or any others, for that matter) could change her mind.





	1. A Fateful Encounter (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ. IT'S RELEVANT TO THE STORY.
> 
> -First things first! Yes, I am continuing this story... and I ACTUALLY created an outline for it, so there's a small hope for it's completion. Small, but existent.  
> -Secondly, I made a few changes from the original one-shot I posted. In this story, they are JUNIORS in high school. I just wanted to age them up a little bit since I felt awkward going the route I'm gonna go and writing them as little freshmen. Nothing inappropriate, of course! It just allows for more flexibility in character dynamics.  
> -Lastly, the dialogue in the summary is a little snippet of a future scene (towards the end of the story) that I wrote and I feel connects the story together. 
> 
> WARNING: Chapter 1 is basically the exact same thing as the original one-shot. If you want to read the NEXT chapter, skip this one. Unless you'd like to read it as a recap.
> 
> Thank you everyone who read and appreciated the one-shot that inspired all this! <3 So... here goes nothing.

**A Fateful Encounter (Part 1)**

“Do you believe in fate?” Dustin asked the party while they were walking to classes one morning.  It was the third day of their junior year of high school and an odd mixture of excitement for the weekend and exasperation for only being _halfway through the week_ had settled in the air.  And this was only the beginning of the school year!  So Dustin’s question came as a bit of a surprise.

“Where the hell is that kind of question coming from, Dustin?” Lucas asked, snorting dismissively.

Dustin leaned to shove Lucas, but Lucas was already ready to shove back.  “Where’d it come from?  Unlike you and half the other brain-dead kids out there, _I_ actually think about complicated things.”

“Dustin, not five minutes ago you _pushed_ the door to the school when it said ‘ _pull.’_ In big bold letters, mind you, and right where your hands were,” Mike pointed out dryly, adjusting his backpack.

Dustin scoffed, “Ah, yes.  But you see, that was a very _simple_ thing and I said I think about _complicated_ things.”

Will snickered, “He’s got a point.”

Dustin nodded his agreement, “As I usually do, Will, as I usually do.”  He looked at the party expectantly, but they didn’t seem to catch what his look meant.  “ _So_?” he pushed, “Do you guys believe in fate or not?”

“I don’t know,” Lucas said incredulously, “My only concern is my homework right now.”

“I’m not sure if it’s _fate_ I believe in… but I do believe that some things are just out of our control,” Will answered honestly with a shrug.

They turned to Mike, and he felt their gazes on him like glaring sunlight on tired eyes.  He looked at them with his eyebrows raised, unamused.  “Seriously?” he asked them, unsure why they were suddenly digging into this topic on the way to their first period of the day.  “No,” he answered simply.

“‘No’ as in ‘no I don’t believe in fate’ or ‘no’ as in ‘no I don’t want to answer the question,’?” Dustin asked, walking backwards now and in front of the party.

“Is it possible for it to mean both?” Mike sighed.

“Jeez, _some_ one’s got their panties in a wad toda—whoa!” Dustin suddenly stumbled backwards in a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with a girl who was trying to walk past.  

It all happened in a blur of rapid moments.  Dustin tripped backwards, narrowly missing the girl, while she stumbled forwards with a startled yelp, hands outstretched and ready to brace her fall while her books began to tumble to the floor.  But she never hit the ground.  Instead, she fell right into Mike’s arms.

Mike blinked in confusion while his hands that had coincidentally found their way to her hips quickly moved to her shoulders.  “You okay?” he asked as she gingerly stepped back from him and he gently let go of her.

“I’m fine.  Sorry about that,” she said softly, and Mike could see that she was blushing, though he was positive he was no better in that department at the moment.  It _is_ slightly embarrassing to fall into someone who you don’t know—or to have someone who you don’t know fall onto _you_ , for that matter.

“Don’t apologize, my friend was the one who made you fall so—“ his voice caught in his throat as he met her eyes, her warm brown eyes framed by wavy chestnut hair.  She was _gorgeous._ “—N-no hard feelings,” he finished lamely.

She smiled brightly, “I’m glad.  I’d hate to make enemies the first week of school.”  Mike’s heart nearly stopped when he saw her smile.  _Pretty,_ he couldn’t help but think.  “And I’d hate to give the wrong impression; I normally don’t fling myself at boys I’ve only just met.”

She began to bend down, reaching out to pick up her books, and Mike followed suit.  It was only polite, after all.  “Here, let me help you with that,” he offered, picking up one of her books.  Briefly looking at the cover of one of the textbooks, he was surprised to find it read, _Advanced Algebra_.  

“You’re taking Advanced Algebra?  What period?” he asked, handing her the book. 

“Third.  Are you taking it?” she asked, taking the book and adding it to the small stack that had once again gathered neatly in her arms.

He smiled, feeling oddly giddy for some reason.  “Yeah, I’m in third period too,” he said, standing up and holding out a hand for her to take.  She took it carefully and stood up.

“I guess I’ll see you there…?” she trailed off, wordlessly asking for his name.

“Mike,” he said.

“Mike,” she echoed softly, “I’m El.”

“El,” Mike said, her name numbly spilling from his lips.  _Nice to meet you,_ he tried to say, but the words seemed to have gotten lost between his thoughts and execution.

There was a moment of silence that should’ve felt awkward but didn’t.  “Well, then.  I guess I’ll see you in third period, Mike,” she said, smiling and moving past him.

“Yeah,” he said, watching her leave.  

Mike had completely forgotten the rest of the party’s existence until he heard them all snickering.  “Well, boys, I believe Mike would like to change his answer to the question,” Dustin grinned.

“Excuse me?” Mike turned back around, glaring at him. 

Lucas cackled, “Mike Wheeler and his _fateful encounter_ ,” he said mockingly, clasping his hands together for effect, “It was love at first sight.”

Mike groaned in annoyance.  “Shut-up, asshole, I was just helping her pick up her books.”

“And that’s probably all you’ll _ever_ get to do,” Dustin added, “‘Cause, _damn,_ she is way out of your league.”  

Mike begrudgingly shifted his backpack on his shoulder and began his trek to his first class once again.  Dustin was right, she— _her name was El,_ he remembered—was way out of his league.  He didn’t really believe in that whole scale of beauty thing, but she wasn’t just attractive by social standards.  Sure she was pretty (there were a lot of pretty girls out there), but she was… different.   She was _bright._ She was _kind._ She was… quite seemingly _perfect._

Then again, he had _just_ met the girl and she probably will have forgotten his name by the time third period comes.  He let a low, frustrated growl loose from his throat.  This was very unlike him—he needed to get under control.  _After all,_ he ruefully thought, _She’s just another girl._ But he knew he was only lying to himself.

Inevitably, third period rolled around and Mike said goodbye to Dustin, Will, and Lucas.  They all shared their first two classes together (english and geology), but they all had different classes for third and fourth period before meeting up again in fifth and sixth.  Dustin and Will headed towards the arts section of the school, Will having a drawing class and Dustin having drama.  Lucas made his way, begrudgingly, towards his government class and Mike nervously walked towards the advanced algebra classroom. 

Mike shook his head, gripping the straps of his backpack tightly.  He didn’t know why he let himself get so caught up in thinking of her.  Her being someone he barely even _knew._ She was a complete stranger!  And yet he kept thinking about the sound of his name when it softly left her lips.  The hopeful light in her eyes when she had asked if he was taking the same class as her.  The unspoken promise that seemed to pass between them: _I’ll see you again._

Mike sighed heavily.  Clearly he had been imagining things, and not because she was “out of his league” as Dustin had so kindly put it.  No, he must be imagining things because people don’t meet like that.  There’s never an instantaneous connection, an immediate kinship—

 _“Love at first sight,”_ he heard Lucas’ voice mockingly echo in the back of his mind. 

Right.  There was no such thing.  So _why_ was his brain so wrapped around that single moment?  Mike could feel the storm of emotions swirling in his chest and he couldn’t seem to shove them down.  So he distractedly walked into his advanced algebra class, half-heartedly looking for a _certain someone,_ and sitting down at the first available desk when he didn’t see her.

 _“Mike,”_ she had said, _“I’m El,”_ he replayed the conversation in his head, grabbing his textbook and notebook out of his backpack and setting them down on his desk.  _El,_ he wondered what it was short for… 

“This desk isn’t taken, is it?” a voice pulled him from his thoughts.  He looked up from his notebook and was surprised to find none other than _her_ standing in front of him, gesturing to the desk to his left.

He shook his head, “I—uh, no.  No, it’s empty.”

She smiled, setting down her back pack and sitting at the desk.  “Mike, right?” she turned to him with a questioning glance.

“Yeah.  And you’re El, right?” he responded, not that he needed her reassurance.  He was almost positive that her name had been burned into the back of his mind the moment she introduced herself.

“That’s me,” she replied, setting down her own notebook on her desk.  She briefly looked around the room before settling back down in her chair, “This class is pretty small,” she observed.

Mike shrugged, “I guess not too many people are ‘mathletes,’” he said, quoting the air with his fingers.

El nodded, “I guess not,” she sighed, “I had no choice.  I was homeschooled growing up and all my dad was good at was numbers, so… I really had nothing else to learn.  Unless he threw a dictionary at me.”

“Your dad’s good at math, huh?  So’s mine… must be in the genes,” Mike mused aloud.  He eyed the girl sitting next to him curiously… why hadn’t he seen her before this?  Had she missed the first few days of school?  She’d said it herself, this was a small class, there’s no way he would’ve missed her.

Although, he had a sneaking suspicion that the size of the class isn’t what would’ve helped him notice her.

“So… I haven’t seen you before,” Mike started, and after receiving a strange look from her, he clarified.  “Around school,” he gestured to the classroom, “Or in this class.”

“I had to miss the first few days of school,” she admitted, “So this is my first day.”  She turned to him and smiled softly, almost in a silent invitation.  Into what, however, Mike did not know.  But he _really_ wanted to.  “First day of school _ever_ actually.  I’m about as new as any new student comes.”

Mike’s eyes widened, “No way, you’ve never been to school before? _Ever?”_

“I told you I was homeschooled,” she said, giving him a wry look.

Mike’s cheeks grew pink in embarrassment, “I assumed you only meant in elementary school.”  He scratched the back of his neck, a nervous gesture his sister always teased him about, “Well, welcome to school then… not gonna lie, it’s pretty lame.  Some of the clubs are nice, though.”

“Well, the people seem nice too,” she said, and he could’ve _sworn_ he heard a hidden lilt, a subtle hint, beneath her words.

Before he could respond, however, the teacher came in.  “Alright class, please quiet down and I’ll start with attendance—Ah, miss Hopper, it’s nice to meet you finally, I hope you don’t have trouble catching up with where we are.”

Mike turned to El as the teacher spoke to her.  _Hopper,_ he thought, _El Hopper._

“I’ll do my best,” she responded, smiling politely, albeit nervously.

The class went by relatively quickly, and Mike couldn’t help but notice that El didn’t seem to have any trouble keeping up with their curriculum.  Granted, it _was_ only the third day of the school year.  And before he knew it, the bell rang and it was time for lunch.

 _Finally,_ Mike thought, noticing just how hungry he was.  

“Lunch time?” he hear El ask from behind him as he grabbed his things and shoved them into his backpack.

“Yeah,” he said, swiveling around to look at her.  She nodded at his answer, but it felt like there was something else she was trying to ask.  

“Do…do you know where the cafeteria is?” he asked, “If you don’t, I can show you where it is.  You can even sit with me and my friends—but they’re all guys and they’re pretty dumb sometimes.  Actually… you know what, maybe you don’t want to—not that you _can’t,_ I wouldn’t mind—“

“—Mike,” she cut him off, reaching out and touching his arm gently.  “I’d appreciate that.  I don’t know where the cafeteria is so it’d be a big help.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve got turned around in here already.”

Mike smiled, all gooey and smily at her response.  “Okay… yeah…” he slung his backpack on his shoulder, “Off to the cafeteria, then.”

“Lead the way,” she grinned, following him out of the classroom.

Mike never knew he could be so thankful for Dustin’s clumsiness.  Because here he was, walking down the hall with this amazing girl, and she even had the heart to talk with him.  And it felt so _right._ So _natural._ So…

 _“Love at first sight,”_ he heard Lucas’ voice, yet again.  

And he couldn’t help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! <3
> 
> -LovelySheree (@lovelysheree on Tumblr)


	2. A Fateful Encounter (Part 2)

**A Fateful Encounter (Part 2)**

El Hopper was _not_ looking forward to today.  She understood why she was doing it—Hop had stressed countless times that being immersed into society was a vital part of the plan.  But if she were being totally honest, she’d rather live in their cabin out in the woods and make friends with animals.  Not.  People.

She wasn’t antisocial, quite the opposite in fact.  The countless days alone in that cabin lead to hours and _hours_ of constant boredom, but she didn’t hate _all_ of it.  She enjoyed the freedom it allowed, wondering the forest (albeit _very_ carefully), creating forts and climbing trees.  She felt like such a free spirit.  And most importantly, she didn’t have to hide anything about herself.  _That’s_ why she was dreading today.  _That’s_ why she didn’t want to interact with people.  People weren’t like trees and animals and wildlife because they asked questions.  Questions that she can’t answer or explain.

But again, she truly was a social creature.  She had always longed for a friend during her days alone, waiting for Hopper to come home.  And that part of her was quite hopeful for what this new season could bring.  But its louder counterpart _screamed_ at the sudden change in pace.  She never loved transitions, they were always so tiring.

 _“You’ll be fine,”_ she remembered Hop telling her, gripping her shoulder with a firm squeeze; something she had long since learned to be a comforting gesture from the stoic man.

 _This’ll be a new kind of freedom,_ she reminded herself as she walked through the halls of Hawkins High.  _You’ll be able to leave the cabin and the woods, walk around town,_ she thought.  Maybe it’d all be worth it, even if she did have to keep her guard up.  Maybe she’d finally start to experience a sense of normalcy for once in her life.

She tightened the grip on her books and sucked in a breath.  Normalcy would be nice.  She wasn’t sure if she deserved it, but… it _would_ be nice—

“—Panties in a wad toda—whoa!” suddenly she saw a boy’s back directly in front of her, mere inches from colliding with her face.  Reflexively, she jutted to the right, avoiding the boy as he swiveled to the left in an attempt to not run in to her.  Her feet, however, were unable to keep up with her sudden movement, causing her to fall forwards.

It all happened so fast.  She went right.  He went left.  She fumbled and fell forward, dropping her books.  Then she reached out to brace herself for an impact that… never came.

She immediately felt hands on her hips and before she could even register the offense, they moved quickly to her shoulders.  Her hands laid flat against the stranger’s chest, her face turned to the side as her cheek gently brushed her fingers.  She could _feel_ his heartbeat under her hands as it seemed to sway unevenly.  

“You okay?” she heard a voice ask as she took a step back from him, pushing herself with her hands and straightening her shoulders as he let go.

“I’m fine,” she said.  After realizing that falling into someone wasn’t probably a normal thing people do—especially not her, she didn’t want this guy to get the wrong idea—she quickly added, “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologies,” he rushed to say as she looked up to meet his eyes.  “My friend’s the one who made you fall, so—“ then their eyes met.  Perhaps she imagined the way his voice caught in his throat.  Maybe it just _felt_ like the moment froze, but she could’ve sworn time almost stopped.  His eyes were a deep and dark charcoal brown, warm against his pale complexion and his thick, dark hair.  He was _gorgeous._

“—N-no hard feelings,” he finished, breaking the spell.  

She felt herself smiling for the first time that morning.  “I’m glad,” she said brightly, “I’d hate to make enemies the first week of school.”  She let a wry smile creep into her expression, “And I’d hate to give the wrong impression; I normally don’t fling myself at boys I’ve only just met.”  

It was playful and oddly flirty, something El didn’t quite expect.  Then again, the only examples of social interaction she had seen in her entire life was through cheesy television or that one time she had tried to run away and join a gang.  But that’s a story for another time.  Either way, she’s surprised by her courage and confidence.  Ignoring the way he looked at her (a mixture of surprise and something else she couldn’t identify), she bent down to pick up her fallen books. 

He immediately bent down as well, his long limbs nearly folding onto the floor.  “Here, let me help you with that,” he offered, reaching for her algebra book.  “You’re taking Advanced Algebra?  What period?” he suddenly asked as he held to book out towards her to grab.

She took to book, adding it the the pile in her arms.  “Third.  Are you taking it?” she asked.

She watched him as a kiddish smile lit up his face in such a way that El couldn't help but admire it.  It was such a freeing expression, one she wouldn’t mind looking at for forever.  “Yeah, I’m in third period too,” he said.  She watched him as he untangled himself from the ground and offered her a slender hand.  She took it carefully and allowed him to help her stand up.  

“I guess I’ll see you there…?” she was about to say a name before realizing she didn’t know it, so the question fell from her lips wordlessly.

“Mike,” he replied.

“Mike,” she couldn’t help but echo.  “I’m El.”

“El,” he said, a soft smile still present on his face.  She felt as if he was going to say more, but instead they both stayed silent.  It was oddly comfortable, but then again, El was more comfortable in silence anyway.  

“Well, then.  I guess I’ll see you in third period, Mike,” she said, letting her smile broaden as she swiftly moved past him.  She heard him quietly murmur a sound of agreement before she disappeared into the busy hallways of Hawkins High once more.  

 _Mike,_ she thought, wondering why she couldn’t stop smiling.

As the day stretched on, El found that not everyone was like Mike.  With it being her first day (and everyone else’s third), she stuck out like a… oh, what was the phrase Hopper always used?  Like a sore thumb.  Most people were generally kind, though pretty nosey, but their questions seemed innocent enough.

“So you’re new here, I don’t remember seeing you in junior high.  What’s your story?”

“You haven’t been here the past two days, were you sick or something?”

“I bet you’re new to Hawkins, looking for some friends?”

And while none of the people seemed to be too terribly _mean,_ they also didn’t seem entirely _interesting._ For some reason, a reason she didn’t entirely understand yet, Mike felt different from the rest.  Her attention seemed to wander to him effortlessly, and while it was slightly distracting, she didn’t mind.  But as her classmates asked her questions, she tried to her best to _not_ think about Mike and make small talk instead, being extra careful to avoid spilling information she wasn’t suppose to spill.  As it turned out, she wasn’t all that different from any other high-schooler, really.

The bell signaling the end to her second class gave a loud ring.  She jumped slightly, glancing at the clock on the wall and letting out a breath of relief.  She really didn’t understand why those bells had to be so _loud._ Picking up her books and giving a friendly nod and smile to the girl who had been chatting with her at the beginning of class, she made her way to her third-period classroom.  Advanced Algebra.  

She found herself smiling for a reason she wasn’t entirely ready to admit.  Although she _would_ admit that it wasn’t because she was excited for math.

After a she made a few circles, frustration rising in her chest at being unable to find the classroom, she _finally_ found the right room.  She really needed to figure out how these halls worked.  She walked into the classroom and found a familiar head of dark hair, faced down at a blank notebook page and seemingly deep in thought.  

She took a moment to look at him—hair tousled atop his head without it looking terribly messy, eyes deeply focused on something she couldn’t see herself, and long fingers holding his pencil loosely.  He was so… _intriguing_.  Not dark or mysterious or damaged like the boys she had read about in teenage novels, instead he was just… well she didn’t quite know.  Perhaps that _did_ make him mysterious, although the word didn’t seem to fit.  _Intriguing,_ she landed on once again, nodding to herself in confirmation.

She walked to the empty desk that was next to him, “This desk isn’t taken, is it?” she asked, gesturing to what she assumed was an empty desk.  He looked up in surprise as their eyes met.  She smiled gently—whether to encourage a response out of him or because her lips had a mind of their own as of lately.

He shook his head, “I—uh, no.  No, it’s empty,” he finally spluttered, gesturing with both hands to the desk as if to say _“of course, sit down.”_

She sat down, setting her backpack against one of the legs of the chair as she had seen most of the students do.  She set her notebook down on the desk, turning to him with raised eyebrows.  “Mike, right?” she asked.  As if she had to even ask.  She had his name pining back and fourth in her mind for a solid two hours now.

“Yeah.  And you’re El, right?” he responded, turning towards her direction.  

She smiled, “That’s me.”  She looked around the class for a moment, taking in the few students who were scattered around the room.  “This class is pretty small,” she observed.  Her other classes had much more students.  Nearly every desk would be filled which meant she typically ended up with a seat awkwardly placed in the middle of the room since she arrived _just_ before the start of class every time due to her poor understanding of room numbers.

“I guess not too many people are ‘mathletes,’” she heard Mike say, turning to see him shrug and use finger quotes.  

“I guess not,” she nodded with a sigh, “I had no choice.  I was homeschooled growing up and all my dad was good at was numbers, so… I really had nothing else to learn.  Unless he threw a dictionary at me.”

Mike’s eyebrows raised in mild surprise.  “Your dad’s good at math, huh?  So’s mine… must be in the genes,” Mike said, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms.  He looked at her from the corner of his eye curiously.  She furrowed her brows in confusion before he suddenly spoke.  “So… I haven’t seen you before,” he said.  

 _Haven’t seen me before?_ she felt her eyebrows crinkle further on her forehead, _Didn’t he see me when I ran into him early this morning—I mean—_

“Around school,” he interrupted her thoughts, gesturing to the room around them, “Or in this class.”

 _Oh,_ she thought, _that makes more sense._ “I had to miss the first few days of school,” she explained, “So this is my first day.”  She smiled softly at him.  She had almost forgot it was her first day while talking to him.  It felt so strangely natural, so strangely familiar, so strangely _right._ Although he wasn’t asking her to continue or clarify, she found herself farthing her explanation.  “First day of school _every,_ actually.  I’m about as new as any new student comes,” she said.

Mike’s eyes widened and he turned back towards her.  “No way, you’ve never been to school before?  _Every?_ ” he asked incredulously.

“I told you I was homeschooled,” she said, her lips curling upwards in an amused smile.  

He must’ve realized his sudden outburst of surprise because his face grew pink as he slumped back in his chair.  “I assumed you only meant in elementary school,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.  _Cute,_ she thought.  “Well, welcome to school then… not gonna lie, it’s pretty lame.  Some of the clubs are nice, though,” he said.

“Well, the people seem nice too,” she nearly said on impulse, cringing inwardly.  Although she meant what she said—including the implications behind it—she _really_ didn’t want to _clarify_ to _him_ what she meant by that.  

He opened his mouth, attempting to question her statement, she assumed, but just as he was about to speak, the teaching came walking into the classroom.  “Alright class, please quiet down and I’ll start with attendance—“ the teacher’s eyes landed on El and she gave a weak smile.  “Ah, miss Hopper, it’s nice to meet you finally, I hope you don’t have trouble catching up with where we are.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said, feeling nervous suddenly.  What if the math they were learning here was different than the math Hopper was teaching her.  

 _“Math never changes,”_ she remembered Hop saying, _“That’s why I like it.”_

As the class went on, El was relieved to find that Hopper was right.  The math had been exactly how she remembered it—in fact, she was even ahead of the class.  They were still going over basic principles.  _And_ she discovered during attendance that Mike’s last name was Wheeler.  Not that it mattered a whole lot, but she enjoyed learning new things about him.  Before she knew it, class was over and the bell sounded again and this time she didn’t jump.

 _What’s next on the schedule?_ she found herself thinking, eyeing Mike who was stuffing his notebook in his backpack.  _Lunch,_ she thought.  Would Mike be having lunch too, then?  All kids had lunch together, didn’t they?

“Lunch time?” she asked.  He turned around to look at her.  “Yeah,” he said, his eyes locking with her own.  So he _did_ have lunch.  Would they sit together?  Should she ask?  Would it be weird to follow him?

“Do…” Mike started cautiously before slowly continuing.  “Do you know where the cafeteria is?” he asked, probably remembering she was new and this was her first day.  “If you don’t, I can show you where it is.  You can even sit with me and my friends—but they’re all guys and they’re pretty dumb sometimes.”  He was avoiding eye-contact and nervously playing with his fingers.  She watched him curiously as he visibly winced, “Actually… you know what?  Maybe you don’t want to—“ he looked to her quickly, as if he was stung by his own words, “—Not that you _can’t,_ I wouldn’t mind—“

“—Mike,” she cut him off, saving him from his endless rambling.  Not that she minded, but she also didn’t enjoy watching him squirm in front of her.  Well… perhaps she _did_ enjoy it a _little,_ but she wasn’t mean enough to let him embarrass himself.  “I’d appreciate that,” she said simply.  “I don’t know where the cafeteria is, so it’d be a big help.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten turned around in here already,” she smiled, shaking her head.  Really, you’d think it’d be simple.  The doors were _literally numbered._

She watched as his face practically _melted_ into a smile.  “Okay… yeah…” he said quietly, picking up his backpack and slinging it on his back.  “Off to the cafeteria, then,” he said.

“Lead the way,” she replied as she followed him out of the classroom, finding an odd sort of confidence when her stride fell into rhythm with his.  She didn’t know how to explain it, but he made her feel special in a very—well— _normal_ way.  He made her feel like she wasn’t _just_ the new girl or that she didn’t have this crazy backstory woven into her soul.  She could just be a girl, talking with a really sweet and genuine guy, and feeling incredibly… _normal._ But even more than that, she was excited for this new transition.  She was excited about what tomorrow would bring.

If tomorrow meant Mike Wheeler.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing too terribly exciting in this chapter since it was basically the same as the last, but in a slightly different perspective, but I promise things'll get more interesting. I hope.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed! If you have had any confusion regarding little changes, read the notes at the beginning of the first chapter for clarification. If not, I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave your thoughts below--can't give you a penny, but I would if I could!
> 
> -LovelySheree


	3. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo! I finally updated! It's boring, I'm sorry. I wanted to establish the party's relationship and the El/Hop father-daughter relationship... so there's, like, no mileven fluff in this.

 

Mike tightly clutched his D&D notebook in his hands as he looked over the adventure he planned for his friends.  Although, that’s all he was able to do.  _Look._ Because the words didn’t seem to register in his brain and he knew the reason why.  Ever since he had brought El to their lunch table, the entire party has been in a thick, awkward tension.  They were all thinking the same thing but no one dared to speak of it.  After rereading the same sentence five times over, he gave up with a frustrated huff.

“God damnit, you may as well bombard me now so we can get this over with,” Mike said, letting the notebook fall to the table.

Will awkwardly fiddled with the pencil he was holding while avoiding eye contact.  “What are you talking about, Mike?” he asked, glancing up at him before looking away.

Dustin raised his eyebrows as he looked at Mike, stretching his arms behind his head.  “We’re just here to play some D&D,” he said in an overly relaxed tone.  

“Bullshit, you’re all thinking about how I brought her to our lunch table,” he said.  And they all knew who “her” was.  El Hopper.  The new girl.  The new and pretty girl.  The new and pretty girl who for some reason agreed to sitting with Mike and thus sitting with them by proxy.  “You guys have been acting different ever since I introduced her—so go ahead,” With his hands, Mike gave a dramatic sweeping gesture across the table, “Ask away.”

At first, he was met with silence as Dustin, Will and Lucas exchanged strange looks.  “Well,” Will began, dragging out the word.  “It was just a little unexpected,” he said, looking at Mike out of the corner of his eye.

Dustin scoffed, “A _little unexpected?_   That’s an understatement, Will, and you know it.  Mike, you’ve literally never shown any interest in a single girl—aside from that Julie chick you crushed on in the fifth grade—and then all the sudden a girl _actually falls into your arms_ and suddenly she’s invited to our _very exclusive_ lunch table!?” Dustin’s eyebrows furrow on his forehead in a clear display of his confusion.  

Mike crossed his arms.  “I was unaware no one else could sit with us, Dustin,” he said flatly.

“Well no one _has_ for the past _4 years,_ Micheal,” he stressed.

“What if she’s a total bitch?” Lucas asked, gesturing to Mike with both hands.  “I mean, she could totally be using you or some shit like that.”

“Hey!” Mike said defensively, “She’s not a bitch.”

“How would you know?  Mike, you _barely_ know her,” Lucas pointed out.

Mike ran a frustrated hand through his hair, “Well maybe I _want_ to get to know her.  Maybe _that’s_ why I invited her to our lunch table.  Besides, she’s new and she’s totally smart so there’s no way she’d be ‘using me,’” he said. 

“I thought she was nice,” Will shrugged, “And I’m not against getting to know her.  But you have to admit, you inviting a girl to sit with us was a bit out of the ordinary.”

Mike nodded and the silence that followed Will’s statement was confirmation of their unanimous agreement.  “Well, I’m inviting her to sit with us again tomorrow,” Mike said, “If you guys don’t mind,” he quickly added.  _Although I may just sit with her on my own if they say otherwise,_ he thought.

Dustin gave a dramatic sigh, “Yeah yeah, we’ll let the hot chick sit with us so you can bone her in the janitor’s closet.”

“Dude, shut up!” Mike chucked his pen across the table at Dustin.

“Ow—what the hell man!” Dustin flinched, the pen hitting his arm and bouncing to the ground.

Mike glared at him, “I’m not trying to ‘bone her,’ you dick.  She’s just a friend.  Besides…” Mike’s face fell a little, “It’s not like she’d like me anyway.”

The party, once again, fell into an odd silence.  It was the sad truth they had all come to accept.  They were losers.  Nerds.  Geeks.  Girls didn’t necessarily _hate_ them (not all of them, at least), but they weren’t highly sought after, either.  It wasn’t so much the looks, it’s just how things settled when they were kids.  And when you grow up in a small town, what you were in first grade is what you’ll be when you graduate.  It’s the social order.  And to imagine someone like El would date someone like Mike would be a little unrealistic.  

“If that’s the case then she can fuck off,” Lucas said decidedly, breaking the quietness that had surrounded them.

“Yeah, she’d be lucky to have you!” Dustin agreed, leaning down and picking up the pen Mike had thrown at him.  “Besides, maybe she’s got a screw loose or somethin’.  She might be into nerds,” he added, handing Mike the pen.

Mike rolled his eyes and took the pen.  “Thanks for the encouragement guys, but she’s really just a friend,” he said.  And although that was true, he couldn’t help but feel comforted by his friends’ words of encouragement.  They could be real pains in his ass, but at the end of the day, they were all there for each other and that’s what mattered.

El sat on her bed while staring blankly at her wall.  Just moments ago she heard Hop’s police car pull up into driveway which meant he’d be walking inside any second now.  And _that_ meant he’d ask her how her day went.

How _did_ her day go?

She felt her classes were easy enough.  There wasn’t anything that she was unprepared for which lifted a _huge_ weight off her shoulders.  She could do this.  She could get used to this whole ‘school’ and ‘life’ thing.  However, what had her most excited was the new people she had met—a few specifically.  

She had ran though their names so many times in her head it nearly made her dizzy.  Dustin, Lucas, Will and Mike.  Dustin was the curly-haired and smiley hat-wearing boy who had nearly ran into her in the hallway before.  Lucas was the darker skinned, skeptical one who kept asking her questions.  Will was the quieter one who seemed content with just watching the interactions play out before him—something she entirely related with.  And _Mike…_

He was the one with deep, dark eyes that she could drown in.  He was the one with thick wavy hair that framed his face.  He was the one with porcelain skin and adorable freckles that scattered across his sharp nose and cheekbones.  The one with perfectly pink lips and a gentle smile.

He was the one she _might_ be crushing on.

But as she heard Hop open the front door after a low huff and a jingle of his keys, she knew she couldn’t share that.  She may not know a lot about social interactions yet, but she _did_ know that daughters telling their fathers about boys they may or may not like was typically a social faux pas. 

“El?  You home?” she heard him call from the small living room in the cabin.

So she decided to keep her romantic interests to herself for at least a little while.

“Yeah, I’m in my room,” she called back, running a hand through her hair and falling back onto her bed.  She heard heavy footsteps walk to her bedroom door before she saw Hopper open the door and peek his head into her room.

“Hey kid,” he said, giving her a smile as he leaned against her doorframe.  “How was school?” he asked.

She lifted herself up on her elbows.  “Good,” she said simply.

“Good?  That’s all?  Did you meet any friends?” he asked her.

She smiled, “I think so.”

Hopper narrowed his eyes at her, “Do you mind clarifying?  I remember teaching you more words than that.”

She scoffed, sitting up and swinging her legs off her bed.  “School was _good_ and I _think_ I made some friends.  My classes were easy enough and no one was terribly mean so…” she shrugged, “Good,” she repeated herself, “I think.”

After a moment, a low chuckle rumbled in Hopper’s chest as he leaned off her doorframe and walked into the small kitchen.  “Fair,” he said.  “Come on out, kid, I’ve got some exciting news.”

“A good ‘exciting?’” El asked, standing up from her bed and following him. 

Hopper shrugged dramatically.  “I _think_ so,” he said, mocking her previous ambiguity.

She frowned at the back of him, knowing he couldn’t see her roll her eyes but she did anyway.  “Oh, ha ha,” she said dryly as she sat down on the couch.

“I know, I’m a good father _and_ I’m funny.  That’s a pretty rare find,” he said, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a cold beer.

“Mmm, that’s questionable,” El said, watching as he maneuvered through their small kitchen and taking a seat at the make-shift dinner table they had set up years ago.  El turned towards him so that her knees rested on the couch with her feet tucked tightly under her.  “So, what’s the news?” she asked as he took a swig of his drink.

“We’re moving,” he said, setting his drink down with a decisive _knock._

“We’re _what?_ ” she asked, her body momentarily frozen on the couch.

Hopper sighed, “Look, this cabin is small, kid.  Plus, now that you’re starting school and all… it’ll be nice to live in town.  I’ve already got a place, it’s definitely bigger than this, but not too big.”

“Moving…” she echoed, briefly looking around the small cabin, her gaze raking over every crack and crevice.  “What’ll happen to this place?” she asked.

With a shrug, Hopper took another sip, “Nothing, really.  It’ll be emptier because we won’t be _living_ here, but I don’t plan on getting rid of this place.”

El quickly turns her eye on him, her eyebrows raising on her head in a show of excited expectation.  “Do I get my own bathroom?” she asked.

Hopper chuckled, “Yes, you do.”

“Thank _god!_ ” El grinned, standing up from the couch and joining him at the table.  “When do we move?” 

“Hopefully by this weekend.  The sellers should be moved out by then—that’s what they agreed to, at least,” he answered.  “I assume you’ll be able to be packed by then?” he said questioningly.

She nodded, “I don’t have much, I could pack tonight if you asked.”

Hopper gave her a half-smile, “Yeah, well… when we get settled into this new place, it’ll feel more permanent.”

El sighed, “I dunno, part of me will always consider this cabin as home.”

Hopper let a soft smile grace his features in a rare display of sentimental sincerity, “I suppose you’ve got a point.”

“I’m excited,” El spoke decisively, nodding as if to let the emotion sink into her brain.  “New house, new scenery, new people, new beginnings.”

“Speaking of new people,” Hopper began, “An old friend of mine is dead-set on meeting you.  She invited us over for dinner tomorrow night.”

“ _She?_ ” El asked suggestively.  

Hopper rolled his eyes, “Not like that, kid.  She’s an old friend from high school.  I ran into her at the station the other day and I told her I was moving.  And of _course_ she’d pry about _why_ I’m moving since I live alone—that’s when I explained I _don’t_ live alone,” he gestured to her with a flippant wave of his hand.  “Long story short, I’m fairly sure she thinks I’m making you up.”

El tilted her head in mild confusion, “Making me up?  Why?”

“She just never pegged me as someone who’d adopt a daughter, I guess,” he peered at her from the corner of his eye.  “She probably would’ve been right, but this is quite the unique situation.”

El nodded, “Quite the unique situation, indeed,” she smiled.  “It’s not every day you find a girl in the woods while investigating another dimension.”

Hopper gives an amused grunt of agreement, taking another swig from his drink.  

“Who’s this lady-friend of yours, anyway?  What’s her name?” she asked.

“Joyce Byers.  She’s got two boys of her own, one’s off at college… the other’s around your age.  She mentioned he was in his junior year when we talked the other day, so yeah.  Your age,” he nodded at her.

“So I won’t be the only kid?” she asked.

Hopper scoffed, “You’re hardly a kid anymore…” he said and grinned at her, “ _Kid_.”

El rolled her eyes, “Contrary to your opinion, you’re not _that_ funny.”

“My opinion’s all that matters,” he said humorously, grunting as he stood up.  “Alright, I’m getting to bed.  I’ve got an ass-load of work tomorrow, plus some loose ends to tie on the house.”

“Goodnight,” she smiled unmoving from her spot at the table.  

“You better get to bed too,” he said.

She shook her head, forgetting he couldn’t see the action.  “I can’t yet.  I’ve got…homework,” she said, testing the words.  It was such a normal thing to say, but still incredibly foreign on her tongue.

Hopper stopped and turned around to look at her, his eyebrows raised in mild surprise.  “Huh,” he finally spoke, “Right… well, get to bed soon.  I don’t want you stayin’ up late and complaining about waking up.”

“Dad, it’s only 8:00,” she said, watching as he rounded the corner where his own bed was.  He only gave a low hum in response.  After a few moments, El got up and picked up her bag, pulling out her math text book to do the few problems they were assigned.  She glanced at the title briefly, a smile making way to her lips.

_“You’re taking Advanced Algebra?  What period?”_

_“Third.  Are you taking it?”_

_“Yeah, I’m in third period too.”_

“New beginnings,” she whispered to herself quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for the next update :)
> 
> -LovelySheree


	4. The Spill and the Seal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update! I had planned to post this before Christmas, but the Christmas season had me totally WRAPPED up! Actually, though, I was pretty busy... hope this was worth the wait! :)

**Chapter 4: The Spill and the Seal**

 

El couldn’t seem to sleep.  Or rather, whenever she fell asleep, she was pulled into a terrible segment of nightmares.  She would close her eyes only to wake up in a startled panic, tossing and turning as her mind seemed to conjure up progressively worse, stomach-lurching scenarios.

_It’s spreading… There’s no stopping it… And it’s all you’re fault…_

_Slithering vines crawled up a suburban home.  Screeches and screams echoed in the background.  Where and_ who _they were coming from, El didn’t know.  As she watched the vines curl around the front porch columns, she barely made out the address on the nearby wall.  The numbers 353 became all but covered by the slimy and snaking roots.  She approached the front window slowly, carefully, and peered inside the home._

 _Sitting on the couch inside and staring right back at her were deep, dark eyes, lacking of their previous warmth._ Mike.  _He sat there, keeping her stare, while the rest of the house was swallowed by hungry vines._

Leave, _she tried to say, but she couldn’t find her voice._ Run, _she tried again, but was only met with a struggled gasp.  Why wasn’t he moving?_

Get up, _she tried to yell, the faintest of noises emerging from her lips._ Get up.  Get up.  Get up.  _Get up—!_

“Kid, get up!  You’ve got school!”

El’s eyes snapped open at the sound of Hopper’s voice.  She sat up slowly, bringing a groggy hand to her forehead and brushing back her hair.  Hopper’s figure suddenly appeared in the doorway, his eyebrows knitted together in a tight expression. 

“If you want to make it to school then you’ve gotta get—“ his eyes met hers, taking in her tired appearance while his sentence was left forgotten in the air.  “Hey, you alright?  Looks like you’ve seen a ghost or somethin’,” he asked.

“I’m fine,” El said, her voice thick with exhaustion, “I just didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Hopper was quiet for a moment as he looked at her, probably wondering if he should believe her answer or not.  “Well, I told you not to stay up late,” he finally said.  “You no longer have the leisure of sleeping in.  Come on, up and at ‘em!”

El nodded, ignoring her body’s desire to lay down and stay under her warm comforter.  She slipped out from under her covers, her feet touching the cold wooden floorboards.

“I have breakfast on the table,” Hopper said, “Although, I’m not sure you’ll have the time to eat it.”  Grumbling something under his breath, he walked away from her room and into the cabin’s kitchen.

She sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, frowning at the floor and trying to put the pieces of her dream together.  There were so many vines… all crawling up that house.  Was it Mike’s house?  She shivered as she recalled his empty gaze staring right through her.  Was that—that _place_ spreading again?

She took in a quick breath, shaking her head and clearing her thoughts.  _No,_ she told herself, _you’re just being paranoid._ She stood up and walked to her dresser, a feeling of dread still seeping into her bones.  _Paranoid,_ she repeated, opening a drawer and pulling out a shirt.

By the time she was dressed and ready, it was already 7:15.  “I’m gonna be late,” she mumbled.  She grabbed the Eggos Hop had laid out for her, shoving one in her mouth while she held the other her her off hand.  She shrugged her backpack on, opening the door and mumbling what sounded like “goodbye” to Hop through the toaster waffle in her mouth.

“Have fun,” Hopper yelled as the door shut behind her.  

 _It’s your second day and you’re already gonna be late?_ She heard her brain berate herself.  Of course, being late was the least of her worries if she was being completed honest.  In fact, she _wished_ being late felt like a bigger worry.  However, in comparison to the weight pooling at the bottom of her stomach, tardiness was a joke.  

That dream still had her shaken up and on edge.  She couldn’t help but think about how that _place_ might be spreading.  And now that she actually had friends (well, _potential_ friends), she had more than just herself and Hop to worry about.  What if it snuck up on them and they never saw it coming?  What if it was all her fault?  What if she couldn’t save them?

 _Relax,_ she tried to calm herself.  _You’re being irrational,_ she said, taking a deep breath.  She juggled the car key between her fingers as she fumbled it into the lock on the car door.  _That place has been contained for years—it’s not spreading,_ her mind lectured.  Slumping into the driver seat, she threw her backpack onto the passenger’s side.  She nearly forgot about the frozen waffle in her mouth until she had looked in the rearview mirror.

She took a minuscule moment to fix her frazzled appearance, taking a large bite out of her waffle, and then backed out of the pebbled driveway and onto the country roads.  School awaited her, whether she shoves this feeling of dread down or not, that fact remained.  Besides, she was looking forward to see a certain someone again.

Mike Wheeler felt like the biggest mouth-breather of all time.  He had been putting on shirt after shirt after shirt.  From button-ups to simple Ts, long-sleeved shirts to tank tops, he felt himself swirling in a never-ending cycle of incisiveness and self-pity.  After what felt like _too long,_ he decided to go with a simple light blue button-up with white trim.  He kept to his basic jeans, but pulled out his semi-decent pair of sneakers instead of wearing his beat-up ones.  

 _Nice,_ he thought, _but not_ too _nice._ He fumbled down the stairs after brushing his teeth (and using mouthwash for the first time in what felt like forever) and made his way to the kitchen for a quick breakfast.  

“Morning,” he mumbled quickly when he saw his younger sister sitting at the kitchen counter.

“Why do you look different?” he heard her ask from the table, her small voice inquisitive and sharp.

Mike glanced at her as he moved towards the fridge.  “Different?  What are you talking about, Holls?” he asked.  For once, he was thankful his mother was on the phone talking with whoever.  Otherwise he’d have to conjure up some reason for him putting a little bit of effort into his appearance.  A reason that _didn’t_ involve a certain girl.

“You’re wearing a nice shirt,” she observed, “Are you doing anything after school?”

Mike sighed, pulling out the milk and a box of cereal.  “No, today’s just another normal day.  Am I not allowed to wear something nice?” he asked, closing the fridge and turning to look at his younger sister.  “I haven’t done laundry in a while,” he lied, “This was the only free shirt.”

“Ew,” Holly peered at him in mild disgust, a look that felt more playful than demeaning, “You’re gross.”

Mike rolled his eyes, taking a moment to glance at the clock and nearly choking.  “And _late,_ ” he said quickly, grabbing the apple he had pulled from the fridge and nearly running out the door.  “Bye Holls, bye Mom!” he hollered while throwing his backpack over his shoulder.  He saw his mother wave at him distractedly while Holly leaned back from the counter to watch him leave.

Typically Mike road his bike to school.  He enjoyed the activity, it cleared his head before school crowded it with loads of information.  Plus, it helped him get off his ass in the morning.  With the habit being formed in middle school, he was never able to get rid of it.  Sure, he had a car—one he saved up for and bought by working a few summers—but he still preferred to ride his bike to school rather than drive.  

However, due to his indecisive shirt catastrophe this morning, he figured driving to school would be better.  Hell, even by driving, he still may end up late.  

And all because he wanted to look _nice._ Just thinking about that made him mentally cringe.  He wasn’t against dressing up, but this was quite unlike him.  It was uncommon for Mike to actually _think_ about what he was wearing.  And it was _definitely_ uncommon for the reason behind the spiff to be about a _girl._ As he plopped himself into the driver’s seat, he looked over himself in the mirror, not to make sure he looked good, but to make sure he didn’t look _too_ good.  He didn’t want the guys getting any ideas.

You _shouldn’t be getting any ideas, either,_ he scolded himself.  Because Mike considered himself to be a sensible man.  And to think of El Hopper as more of anything than just a friend would be completely bonkers.  

With a huff and a jerk of the keys, the car engine spluttered to life and he backed out of the driveway.  _Besides, you barely even know her,_ he added, as if to talk himself down.  However, the back half of his brain knew there was no point in trying to ease or reason his excited heart.  Because for some damn reason he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about their exchange.  Sure, there were moments where his thoughts were not preoccupied by a certain brown-eyed girl, but those moments were small and fleeting.

As he made his way to school, he continued to try and rationalize his thoughts and emotions.  He was so lost in his own self-lecture, he nearly had a heart attack when someone (or some _thing_ ) suddenly appeared in the middle of the road, yanking him from his thoughts.  His eyes widened as he quickly took in the strange being before him.  Long and strangely tall.  Dark and shadow-like.  He swerved quickly out of the way, his tires squealing and sliding on the black tar, before he came to a screeching stop just along the side of the road.  Luckily, the only damage done was the bush he had taken out.

He stared blankly and shell-shocked at his steering wheel and knuckles that were turned white from their tight grip.  _What the hell?_ his mind whirled, trying desperately to catch up with the series of events.  _Did I just almost fucking hit someone!?_ The figure was etched into his brain, dark and lengthy, humanoid but very _not_ _human._ But it _was_ human.  Otherwise Mike Wheeler, a man of sense, would have been completely insane.  

After what felt like minutes, but probably only moments, Mike quickly unbuckled himself and opened the driver door. “Hey, are you alri—“ his words were cut shot when he realized there was no one in the road.  He stepped out of his car and looked around, scanning the area for any form of life.  However, the only proof of existence outside of himself was the crow cawing in the trees above.  

“Hello?” he called, wondering if he was going crazy.  _You probably are,_ he thought dryly, _You’ve been far from your ordinary self this morning._

When no response came, he shook his head, running an exasperated hand through his hair.  He _must_ be going crazy.  His mind has to be playing tricks on him because things don’t just randomly appear out of thin air and then disappear.  That’s what _crazy_ people think.

“I’m losing it,” Mike sighed, still staring blankly at the road.  “Oh shit—I’ve got school!” he yelled at himself, running back to his car.  It was only the beginning of the school year and he was already going to be late.  He strapped himself back into his car and quickly drove off, trying his best to let whatever he _didn’t see_ be forgotten.

When El finally got to the Hawkins High campus, she was happily surprised to find that she had a few minutes to spare which meant she’d make it to class just in time.  She found a place to park and hopped out of her car, quickly making her way to her first class.  Well, she _intended_ to quickly make her way to her first class.  However, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she found herself diverting from her path.

Just outside the school’s entrance and bunched in a tight circle were three boys, each wearing Hawkins High letterman jackets.  However, their jackets were not what she was so curious about.  It was what the one on the left (tallest of the three with dark brown hair) had said.  

“Gross!  I’m not gonna touch it, _you_ touch it,” he nudged one of the guys towards whatever they were huddled around.

“No way, man!  That thing looks like some creepy slug!” he responded.

“Alien, more like it—“ the last of the three spoke.

“Shut up, idiot.  Aliens aren’t real,” the tall one scoffed, nudging him again, “Come on—“

“What are you guys looking at?” El interrupted, her curiosity getting the better of her.  Typically she would have walked past without so much as glancing at them, but after her brief interactions with Mike and his friends, she found her confidence growing in the social atmosphere.  At least enough to ask what these boys were looking at.

At the sound of her voice, all three boys looked up from the ground and their eyes landed immediately on her.  One smiled at her, letting his hands find their way to his pockets as he took a step towards her.  “Well, now we’re lookin’ at _you,_ ” he said with a large effort of suave.  

“What _were_ you looking at?” she asked, ignoring the boy’s comment.

The tallest one took a step back and nodded to the ground.  “Someone must’ve puked,” he said, “That, or something else… whatever it is, it’s nasty.”

“That isn’t puke,” the last one said with a grimace.

“Well what _ever_ it is, a pretty girl like you shouldn’t be looking at it,” the first one said, giving her a wink.

El furrowed her brows, giving the boy a strange look.  “What does that have—“ she began, but was cut off.

“Need an escort to class?  School ‘bout to start any second,” he interrupted, walking towards the doors of the school.  

El shook her head, “No, I’m fine, thank you.  I’m just—“

“Come on, it’s only courteous of us to walk you to your class,” he said.

El waved dismissively at him, turning to get a good look at whatever it was they were staring at, but the taller one was blocking her view, standing directly behind her and nudging her towards the door.  “E-excuse me,” she said, trying to walk around him, but the third had grabbed her arm. 

“You don’t wanna be late, do you?” the one who had grabbed her arm asked lowly.  

 _Not nice,_ she thought, staring defiantly up at the two boys, the third still waiting by the door.  There was a mixture of frustration, fear, and annoyance settling in her stomach.  Why wouldn’t they let her _see_?  Why wouldn’t they let her _go_?  

She jerked her arm away from one of the boys’ grip with a jolt.  “Look, I don’t need an escort.  And if you guys are worried about tardiness, go ahead and get to class,” she said, still trying to crane her neck towards the place they were previously gathered.

“It’s school policy to walk a lady to class if she’s on her own,” the one by the door said with a broad smile.

“It is?” El asked, sparing a moment to look at him.

“An unspoken one, but a rule none-the-less,” he said, gesturing towards the inside of the school building.  “So come on, let’s hurry you to class.”

 _Something’s off,_ she thought, her mind charting the easiest means of escape.  However, she couldn’t see herself realistically getting out of this situation without using her—

 _No.  Hop said no,_ she reminded herself, _Only for emergencies._

Was this an emergency?  She couldn’t quite tell yet.  Perhaps the boys were truly just gonna walk her to class, or perhaps they had something else planned.  She truly wouldn’t know until she accepted their offer.  But something about that felt very wrong.  

“Well, I’ve never been a fan of rules—spoken or unspoken—so you guys go on without me,” she said, trying to step away from them.

The one by the door let out a long winded sigh, “Listen, we’re not going in unless you’re going in with us—“ _Smack!_ Without much warning and a flash of orange, suddenly the boy was hunched over and holding his cheek, a quiet groan escaping his chest.

“You heard her.  Let her walk her own damn ass to class,” El’s eyes widened as she took in the figure before her.  She had red hair and a personality to match, as it seemed.  

The boy by the door leaned up, still holding his face.  “What the hell, freak.  You really think this’ll end well for you?” he asked, taking a step towards her.

“Not necessarily,” she shrugged, “But I don’t think this’ll end well for _any_ of us.”

“Hey!  Kids!  Get to class already, first bell’s already rung!” They all turned their heads to see a man walking towards them, one of the teachers, El assumed.  

The boys took a step back, looking between the smug expression the redhead wore and back at the teacher.  They nodded and waved at the teacher, each mumbling a “Yessir,” as they hurried inside.

El stood there frozen for a moment, her mind having trouble keeping up with what had happened.  She turned to look at the redhead and tried to give her a smile, but it didn’t hide her confusion at _all_ it seemed, because the girl cackled at her expression and gestured towards where the boys had disappeared.

“They always try and escort girls,” she said simply, “It’s a charming tactic—works on more than you’d think.”

“Charming tactic?” El echoed.

“You know, to make the girls swoon,” she rolled her eyes.  “Hope you don’t mind that I interfered, but I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to hit one of them.”

“Uh, yeah, no problem… I guess.”

“I’m Max, by the way,” the redhead said, extending her hand towards El, “I think we’re in the same history class.”

“Max,” El repeated, “I’m El,” she said, accepting Max’s hand and gently shaking it.  It was an interaction El still found incredibly awkward—and perhaps it was because she didn’t do it enough—but El found the concept of shaking hands incredibly strange.  

In the very quick exchange, El nearly forgot about the reason she had interrupted the boys’ conversation in the first place.  _What were they looking at?_ With a small jolt, she turned from Max and looked at the ground where the boys had been hovered over.  When her gaze finally landed on what they must’ve been looking at, a substance seemingly bleeding from a large crack in the cement, her heart nearly stopped beating.

“What’re you lookin’ at?” Max asked, “That teacher’s on his way over, by the way.  And as much as I hate class, I’d rather not get chewed out right now—what the _hell_ is _that_!?”

“I don’t know,” El said breathlessly.  Of course, that was a complete _lie._ It was sticky, oozy and slimy, and as she looked at it, she was crushed with a brutal reality.  Either someone had a failed science experiment, or _that place_ was spreading.

“Girls!” they heard the teacher’s voice once more, this time more stern and most definitely closer.  The sound of the last bell rang tauntingly around them as their fates were sealed.

“Oh shit,” Max mumbled under her breath, turning around to the teacher with a forced smile.  El followed suit, turning to the teacher and wearing a tentative one.  _Always smile,_ she heard Hopper’s voice ring in her head, _It’s bothersome as hell, but it sure does help a situation sometimes._

Max waved at the teacher, “Ah jeez, sorry, teach!  We were only—“

It was then that they heard hurried footsteps running towards them, followed by a loud gasp.  Whether it was from exertion or surprise, El couldn’t tell.  That is, until she looked at the source of the sudden interruption and heard a small gasp of her own escape her lips.  _Mike,_ his name suddenly bouncing back and forth in her head.

“El,” he said in quiet surprise, their eyes locking onto each other’s gazes.  His eyes were so deep and dark, she nearly forgot how pretty they looked.  He was the first to tear his eyes from hers as he coughed and cleared his throat.  “Uh, good morning Mr. Clarke,” Mike nodded at the teacher.

The teacher—now identified as Mr. Clarke—crossed his arms and lifted his eyebrows as he looked Mike over.  “Mike Wheeler,” he shook his head, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this late to school.”  He gestured to the girls. “I was about to give detention to these two, and it looks like I’ll have to give it to you as well,” he said, his voice sounding disappointed, “I hope you know I’ll find no pleasure in it, but—“

“Ah—well, you see Mr. Clarke, I, uh, had to take my little sister to school this morning—You know the one, little Holly?” he said breathing deeply, “Well, my mom was sick this morning and so I had to take her and, uh, El here offered to wait and—“  Mike looked at El with a blank expression, his excuse almost falling through his hands.  “And… um…” he continued to splutter.

“Give him his book!” El said quickly, reaching into her bag and pulling out a book she had brought to read.  She gingerly handed to book over to Mike and looked back to Mr. Clarke.  “I, uh, noticed he left it in the algebra class we have together.  I called his house last night to let him know he left it and I told him I’d wait outside school to give it to him.”

Mr. Clarke looked between the three teenagers, “Couldn’t that have waited until lunch or between classes?  Besides, last I checked it only took one person to give a book back.  What are you doing out here so late, Maxine?” he looked curiously at the redhead.  

“It’s for his first class, so he needed it right away.  And, um, Max is here because she helped me fend off the boys you saw,” she said, deciding to go with the truth on that one.  “They were bothering me,” she said simply.

Mr. Clarke nodded slowly, “I see,” he said, his eyes landing on Mike.  “Well, I’ll let this slide this time.  If any of the teachers give you grief about being late, you can tell them you were helping me unload my car.”

“Thank you, Mr. Clarke!” Mike said, walking to the door and opening it for them all.  “And thanks again, El,” he looked kindly at her, “For the book.”

“Of course,” she smiled fondly, following Max through the door.  

She heard Mike and Mr. Clarke exchange a few quick words before Mr. Clarke turned down a different hallway.  “And hurry to class, you three!” he instructed as the sounds of his footsteps faded away. 

El turned around to find Mike hurrying towards them, a broad smile gracing his features, “Here’s your book back,” he said now that Mr. Clarke was out of sight.  She took the book and he looked gratefully at her.  “Quick thinking, by the way,” he said.

“Yeah, and thanks for covering for me,” Max said.

El looked between them and shrugged, “I should be the one thanking _you_ two.  I was only telling the truth to Mr. Clarke about you, Max,” she said earnestly.

“And if this big nerd wasn’t such a big nerd, Mr. Clarke would’ve been reporting to the principal right now,” Max added.

An indignant sound rose from Mike’s chest, but El spoke before he could voice his annoyance.  “Thank you, Mike,” she said, her eyes locking onto his once more.  “I thought my fate was sealed when I heard the last bell.  You’re my nerd in shining armor,” she said with mirth.

Her words seemed to ignite a bright pink color onto the boy’s cheeks.  When she realized what she had said she felt her own cheeks heat up and she quickly looked away.  “I mean, uh…“ she shuffled her feet on the ground and adjusted her bag on her shoulder.  _Nerd in shining armor?  Really?  You may be a little slow to social cues, but that was lame even for_ you, she cringed internally.

“Well I’m gonna go to my class.  I suggest you two do the same,” Max said, her voice cutting through the awkward air that had suddenly fallen between them.  “I guess I’ll see you in History class, El,” she said, waving to them and walking off.  “Later, El.  Later, nerd,” she said over her shoulder as she stocked off.

“Right, um, we should get to class,” she smiled at Mike, daring to meet his gaze once more.  

“Yeah,” Mike said quietly, airily.  

After a moment, El turned around and broke the third staring contest they’ve had that day, beginning her trek to her first class with her mind spinning a million miles per hour.  She was only a few steps away from him when she heard him scamper towards her in a quick attempt to catch up.  

“Hey, wait!” he said, falling into stride with her within a a few seconds.  “Mind if I walk you to your first class?  Just incase another teacher comes by and you need your ‘Nerd in shining armor,’” he offered with a hesitant laugh.

She paused, looking up at him.  She heard the other boys’ voices in her head and a shiver ran down her spine.  But now, looking at Mike, she didn’t seem to mind the idea of _him_ walking her to class.  “Sure,” she said simply.  

His smile widened.  “Okay,” he said, and they began walking down the halls of Hawkins High.  

It was strange.  She had told Mike she feared her fate was sealed when she heard that last bell ring.  Now, walking with him while simply enjoying each other’s presence, she felt her fate was still sealed.  But in a completely different way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the lack of Mileven again, I keep dragging it out with random details that are probably unimportant... but at least Max is introduced. Let me know what you thought in the comment section below :)
> 
> See you all in the next update,  
> LovelySheree


	5. Chapter 5: A Full Table Makes A Full Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of the s3 trailer... I decided to update! Woohoo! This story is slow-going and there's not much I'll probably do about that, but it's still fun to write here and there. Then again, I'm a slow-writer in general, so I do apologize for that. :P 
> 
> Anyway, here's the next update! I hope you enjoy <3

**Chapter 5:**

 

El’s brain was running a hundred miles per hour.In fact, she’s shocked that steam wasn’t shooting from her ears.And no matter how many times she told herself to just _think about it later,_ she couldn’t.Because she was more than positive that what those boys had seen—and what she had seen—was _not_ of this world.She knew what that meant and it made her stomach drop.It was spreading again.

It made no sense! _How_ was it spreading?Hopper had said that the Lab was regulating it.That they were controlling its growth to be at such a small rate that it was _manageable._ But what’s manageable about it leaking through to her school?Nothing.Which means the Lab does _not_ have it under control.

She needed to tell Hop.But she couldn’t tell Hop.He was at work and she was at _school._ Something that, speaking of, she needed to pay attention to.She let a frustrated huff escape her lips, ignoring the strange side glance she received from the person sitting next to her.Deep down, she knew this frustration of hers was merely a means of masking her anxiety around the issue, but she’d get to that later.It was easier to be mad right now.Besides, anger had its way ofyielding productivity for her.

“Hey, you usually this broody?” she heard a familiar whisper from her side.Max.

El turned to the redhead and offered a weak smile.“Just tired,” she lied.After their pervious encounter, Max had found her when she entered their history class, sitting down beside her and giving a simple nod of acknowledgement.El inwardly cringed when Max had sat down, expecting her to strike up small-talk, but the ginger slunk into her chair and sat in silence, waiting for class to begin.So the sudden question and attempt at conversation from Max surprised El. 

“That shit we saw outside?Gross… I can’t get it out of my mind,” Max continued, looking away from El and at her notebook where a few words had been scribbled down.

El could hear her heartbeat in her ears.Her palms grew slick and she nervously wiped them on her jeans.“Yeah,” she carefully agreed.She side glanced at the teacher who was still going on with her lecture, blissfully unaware of the conversation between the two girls.

“What do you think it was?” Max asked, her eyes averting from her notes and meeting El’s.

El shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant while her hands squeezed into fists under her desk.“I don’t know.Probably something that fell out of the trash.It looked rotten, to me.”

Max looked at El intensely, processing her words with such careful consideration as if her life depended on it.With each passing second, El wanted to shrink into her seat and disappear.Suddenly, and to El’s relief, Max snorted, hiding a laugh.“Maybe it’s the cafeteria food, huh?The food here _sucks._ ”

El smiled and let out a soft laugh of her own.“It’s not _that_ bad,” she said.

“ _Please,_ it’s terrible,” Max scoffed.

“Do I hear talking?” the teacher asked, pausing her lecture, “If I hear talking that means you’re not listening,” she said.Though confused at the teacher’s choice of words, El could sense an invisible threat fall over the classroom.She sat up straighter in her chair and saw Max following suit. 

“As I was saying,” the teacher continued, and El tried her best to pay attention.But that creeping substance had done more than just distract her.She needed to find out for herself if it was spreading again.

_———_

Mike stared at El from the corner of his eyes.She seemed distracted.She had been distracted since they had started their third period algebra class.Sure, they both exchanged pleasantries and she thanked him _again_ for helping her this morning, but something still felt off. 

He watched as she brought her hand up to wipe her nose, something she had done a few times already this class period.She didn’t have a runny nose, she hadn’t so much a sniffled once, but her hand kept coming up to swipe at her nose anyway as if it were some kind of tick. _Something_ was on her mind.And although it was none of Mike business, he couldn’t help but be a bit bothered by it.It made his heart nearly sink to the pit of his gut.

_You probably said something to scare her off, wastoid,_ he thought, turning back to the teacher. _Maybe if you hadn’t offered to walk her to class like some kind of misogynistic—_

A loud ring sounded, yanking Mike from his internal reprimanding.Lunch time.He quickly put his notebook away, only half listening as their teacher quickly reminded them of their homework assignment.When he had stuffed his backpack full, he looked up to see El walking out the classroom door.

_Apologize, you bozo!_ he yelled at himself, quickly standing and walking after her.“E-El, wait!” he called after her, but she didn’t stop.He took a few quick, long strides and reached her side.“El, look, I—“

But when he looked down at her, her eyes were…closed.“El?” he repeated, slowing down and gently grabbing her shoulder.

At his touch, she immediately flinched, her eyes springing open and staring widely at him.“Mike!” she said under her breath, startled.Mike furrowed his brow at her, it was as if she had awoken from a dream.

“You know, you probably shouldn’t walk around with your eyes closed,” he said with a light laugh. 

She offered him a weak smile, and it only made his heart sink further down.“Sorry,” she said, shifting awkwardly.He realized his hand was still on her shoulder and he quickly removed it. 

“I—uh, you’re sorry? _You’re_ sorry?I should be the one apologizing.I should’ve known you’re capable of walking to class on your own, I mean, you’re so awesome—uh, I mean, it’s just, uh—you’re _strong._ But not _too_ strong!A pretty kind of strong, not manly kind of strong.Not that being manly-strong is bad, I guess… but I wouldn’t consider you manly, you’re just, uh, you’re definitely strong.But not like—I mean, you’re still _womanly_ —oh god,” he winced.

Mike watched as El’s eyes went from confused, to more confused, to shocked and then to somewhere in-between shocked and second-hand embarrassment.His hand reached to run down his face, resting for a moment when it covered his mouth. “I…wow.I’m really good at rambling and I’m _really_ bad at apologizing,” he mumbled through his hand.He took in a shaky breath as his hand fell to his side.“I didn’t mean to offend you when I offered to walk you to class this morning,” he finally said, air practically deflating from his lungs.

Lines had formed on El’s forehead as her eyebrows slowly rose higher and higher on her face.“You’re sorry for walking me to my class?” she asked slowly.

“Y-yeah, I mean… I thought maybe I had offended you,” he said, staring at her, his heart fluttering in his chest.Was it wrong to think she looked _adorable_ right now? 

“No,” she said simply.

“‘No’ as in you’re not offended?”

“ _No,_ I’m not offended.Why on earth would I be offended?Besides, if I didn’t want you to walk me to class I would’ve said so,” she said as they started to walk again.

Mike continued to look at her with hope building in his chest. “So you _wanted_ me to walk you to class?” 

El looked at him sideways and let out a small laugh, “I was under the impression we enjoyed each other’s company.”

He felt a weight lift from his shoulders as he smiled broadly at her.“Oh, okay, cool,” he said lamely.“I’m glad.”

“I’m just a little distracted today, is all.I can get… _really_ deep into my thoughts sometimes,” she said, “And I got a bit spooked by something earlier this morning.”

Mike felt goosebumps run down his arms and he held back a shiver while an image of a lengthy silhouette flashed across his mind.“Same,” he said absently, “I was driving to school today and I thought I saw something run across the road and almost hit my car.My eyes had to have been playing tricks on me, though.I probably stayed up too late last night.”

“Oh?” El’s voice dipped into caution, “What was it?A deer?”

“Probably.I mean, I _thought_ it was a person, which scared the _hell_ outta me.But it was probably nothing because when I got out of my car to see if they were okay, nothing was there.”He shook his head.She probably thought he was crazy.“That probably sounds insane.Again, I was probably just up too late.Sleep deprived, you know?”

“Right,” El said, growing quiet.There was a brief pause between them that Mike couldn’t help but notice as strange.But as quickly as it came, it left and El was smiling at him again.“I hope you don’t mind, but I offered Max to sit with me today.”

“Well you both can join us at the lunch table, if you’d like.” Mike said, worried El was changing her mind about sitting with the party.

El smiled, gently brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, “Great.”Mike watched her in awe as she turned and started walking. _Pretty…_

———

The lunch table felt… awkward.Looks that spoke hidden meanings were exchanged back and forth as El and Max silently ate their food.Had she done something wrong?Over stepped and accidentally offended any of them?Was she not suppose to invite Max to the table?

“I’ve seen you skating around school,” Dustin finally speaks up, looking directly at Max and smiling.

“Good observation.Your eyes must be in tip-top shape,” Max responds dryly. 

Dustin, slightly confused by her reaction, just nodded numbly.“Why do you, uh, skate around?” he asks, earning an annoyed and embarrassed groan from Lucas.

Max glances at Dustin in a wry look of bafflement.“I was unaware I _needed_ a reason,” she said after a moment.“When I lived in California, I skateboarded a lot because we lived close to a skate park.I guess I just never kicked the habit,” she answers, stabbing at her mashed potatoes. 

“You lived in _California_?” Dustin’s eyes got big and he leaned over the table towards her, “So like, by the beach?”

“You know not _all_ of California is the beach, right?Most of it is agriculture like around here,” she gestured in the air with her fork.“But it just so _happened,_ ” she continued, taking a bite of her steamed carrots, “That I lived by the beach.”

“Whoa, that’s totally rad!” Dustin grinned, leaning back in his seat.El saw Mike give Dustin a strange look, though Dustin didn’t seem to notice. 

“Rad?” Mike asked him.

“Yes, _rad._ It’s a word people use, you know,” Dustin said, finally turning to Mike.

Mike rolled his eyes, “Yeah, but not one _you_ usually use.”

Dustin leaned over to slap Mike arm, “I say ‘rad.’Besides, since when have you been keeping track of my vocabulary?” 

“I don’t keep track of your—that’s not what I meant,” Mike said, his face falling flat.El found the expression almost comical and bit her lip to keep from laughing at the exchange.“I’m just saying that’s a very Cali thing to say,” Mike said.

“Don’t people from Cali say ‘tubular’ or something like that?” Lucas asked, seemingly finding the nerve to speak.El couldn’t tell if the boy was nervous or reserved.Perhaps somewhere in between.

Max held back a laugh, “ _Oh_ yeah, _totally.”_

“Totally tubular, huh?” Lucas asked, a wry smile spreading across his face.

Dustin laughed, leaning back in his chair and gliding his hand through the air, “ _Totally tubular,_ ” he said, his voice changing characteristics while his face scrunched into the strangest of expressions.

El couldn’t stop the light giggle that fluttered from her chest.She could feel everyone suddenly turn to look at her and she ducked away shyly.“I—sorry,” she stammered, still smiling, “You guys are funny to listen to.”

Will laughed, “I think the vibe they’re trying to go for is more ‘intellectual,’ or ‘cool,’” he said, “But I’d have to agree with you, El.”

“Oh come on, we can be _cool,_ ” Dustin stressed, turning to El and pointing at himself, “Didn’t you just hear my perfect interpretation of a surfer boy?”

El tried her best to nod and not laugh, but she didn’t seem to pull it off judging by the feigned hurt expression Dustin had. 

Lucas cackled, “Come on, Dusty,” he said with an overly mushy voice, “I bet your mommy thinks you're funny _and_ handsome.”

El watched as Lucas and Dustin continued to laugh and tease one another, and she couldn’t hide her smile.She so easily lost herself in observing or participating in their strange banter and conversation, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a _part_ of something.As if there was a missing piece to her that felt so incredibly fulfilled by merely _being_ here with them.

El’s eyes suddenly found Mike’s then and she felt her heartbeat pick up.He wore a dopey smile and his eyes held a delicate softness she hadn’t seen in them before.It almost felt _invasive_ to stare back at him, but didn’t dare look away.“I’ll take funny,” he said, his smile widening.

Soon, the anxiety she held from earlier that day melted away and before long, she had completely forgotten about the leak she had found.

———

“You almost ready, kid?” El heard Hopper ask her from the main room. 

“Yeah,” El said, exiting the bathroom where she had been cleaning up her appearance, “I just need to get my shoes on.”

Hopper watched as she walked towards the couch.“Good,” he said, “We’ll leave when you’re done, then.”

“Anxious to meet this old friend?” El asked, a hint of teasing in her voice.

“Not that it’s anything to _you,_ but yes, I’m excited to see my _friend_ again,” he said, watching as she slipped on her converse.

El scoffed at him, “Not anything to me?Of course it’s something to me.Your love life, whether you’d like it to or not, will effect my life.”

“Well there’s no love-stuff going on between Joyce and I, alright?” He peered at her for a moment before slowly grinning.“So if you get to pester _me_ about my love-life— _or lack there of—_ “ he was quick to amend when he saw the look she tossed him, “Do I get to pester you about all the pretty boys you meet at school?”

A blush crawled up El’s neck, and she was extremely grateful that she was bent over tying her shoes so that her hair curtained her embarrassment.She couldn’t _lie,_ her dad was too good at catching her, so she went with her usual tactic.“Do you _want_ to hear about all the pretty boys I meet at school?”Throw it right back at him.

Hopper coughed awkwardly, “I guess not,” he said, shifting on the couch.“Well _if_ their’s a pretty boy you’re after,” he began, and El had to stop herself from cringing.She really didn’t feel like listening to whatever stranger lecture he was about to give her.“Then I trust he’s pretty nice and treats you well, too,” he said.

El leaned up, having finished tying her last lace, and gave him a look of disbelief.“What, no ‘no man’s good enough for my daughter,’ talk?” She asked.

Hopper barked out a laugh and stood up, “You kidding?Any man who can stand toe-to-toe with you and come out _alive_ is a keeper.Besides, I trust your judgment.”

“That’s good to know,” El smiled, standing up and walking towards the cabin door.“Sadly, I don’t share that trust,” she said, slipping on her coat and turning towards Hopper.“Now let’s go meet this ‘Joyce’ so I can decided if she’s a good woman for my father,” she said while her voice dipped down low in a poor imitation of a masculine tone.

Hopper rolled his eyes and gently shoved her out the door, “Again, she’s a _friend,_ but I guess there’s no use in telling my stubborn daughter that.”

El laughed, skipping towards the car, “Probably not.”

The car ride was shorter than El had expected.They hadn’t even gotten into the suburbs of Hawkins before Hopper turned and pulled into a small dirt driveway.In front of them was a small house with two cars parked in the driveway.There was a small front porch with an old bench sitting along the wall, similarly to the cabin. 

“We’re here,” she heard Hop say as he opened the car door. 

El unbuckled and jumped out of the car herself, closing the door and following him to the front door.She watched as he knocked on the door and leaned over to peak through the window. 

From inside the house, El heard the clattering of kitchenware and the shuffling of feet.“I’m coming!” a muffled voice sounded through the door.El saw Hop laugh silently out of the corner of her eye. 

The door was suddenly opened and El was met with the sight of a small women, probably at least a half-foot shorter than herself, in a relatively baggy flannel shirt that seemed to make her look even _more_ small. 

“Hey Jim,” she greeted, reaching towards him and giving him a quick hug.Stepping back she looked over to El, “And this is your _daughter?_ ” she asked in disbelief.

“It’s nice to meet you,” El smiled, holding out her hand, “Thank you for opening up your home and inviting us to dinner.” 

Joyce seemed baffled by the hand in front of her and pulled El in for a hug instead.Although she seemed small enough, the woman had an iron grip.“Nonsense,” she said as she stepped away from El, “This is nothing.And you may want to hold onto your thanks,” she said with a worried smile, “I’m afraid I’m not known for my cooking.”

El laughed, “Well, I’m sure it’ll be an upgrade from anything _he’d_ make,” she said, pointing her thumb at Hopper.

Joyce laughed wholeheartedly at that while Hopper gave a mild grunt at her grievance, but didn’t say otherwise.Joyce gestured them towards the kitchen where there were four plates set out.

“Go ahead and sit down, the food just finished cooking and it keeping warm in the oven,” she said, walking towards the hallway and hollering, “Will, honey, Hopper and his daughter are here!” she called before walking into the kitchen and pulling out what seemed to be a casserole. _Will,_ El thought, _must be a coincidence._

“You know, I don’t think I ever caught your name,” she said as she walked towards the table with the dish.“And Hopper failed to mention it at the store,” she said, throwing him a teasing look.

Hopper waved his hand at her. “Hey, you barely gave me the opportunity to say anything other than ‘yes’ to dinner,” he said.

“Well I was surprised you’ve had a daughter all this time!And a pretty and polite one, at that,” she said turning back to El.“What’s your name, sweetie?”

El smiled, watching Joyce take a seat across from Hopper.“I’m—“

“El?” El stopped mid-sentence and turned to see Will standing in the hallway. 

_Nope, not a coincidence,_ she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No promises on the next update. I've already got a page or two of it done, but that doesn't mean I'll be posting anytime soon hah. Again, my apologies, but hopefully you enjoy reading anyway! 
> 
> I'm hoping to get the party together at Mike's house in the next update, but I very rarely get to what I've set out to do in writing... 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr if you haven't already ;) @lovelysheree (I post a lot of st doodles there).


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